Charity develops ‘smart suit’ that helps children with rare disease which robs patients of their mobility
- The muscle-wasting disease gradually robs DMD sufferers of their mobility
Everyday tasks such as brushing teeth can become an enormous challenge for the 2,500 British children coping with a rare disorder.
And while there is no cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a charity has developed a pioneering ‘smart suit’ that helps users regain function in their upper body.
The muscle-wasting disease gradually robs DMD sufferers of their mobility, meaning they often need a wheelchair.
But a first prototype of Duchenne UK’s suit – which also brings hope to those with spinal muscular atrophy – is set to be completed by December, when it will be tested by a panel of youngsters living with DMD and SMA.
Worn like a slimline backpack, the suit is powered by tiny motors and rechargeable batteries and utilises ‘twisted string actuator’ technology, patented by Stanford University’s research unit, SRI International.
Duchenne UK Chief Executive Emily Reuben and her 15-year-old son Eli, who lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, speak to Kay Burley in February about the ground-breaking ‘smart suit’
The muscle-wasting disease gradually robs DMD sufferers of their mobility
It mimics muscles by using a thread around the arm that contracts, which, with the motors, lifts a limb after the user activates a control linked to their index finger.
The project was made possible by a £1.25million grant from the Dream Fund, an annual charitable scheme run by People’s Postcode Lottery.
Duchenne UK hopes the device can be made available in the mainstream market by 2025 and it is also said to have ‘huge potential’ for helping stroke patients, and those with multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease.
Clara Govier, People’s Postcode Lottery managing director, said: ‘Postcode Lottery players across Britain have now raised more than £1.1 billion for good causes and it is always a privilege to see at first hand how that money is being used. The SMART Suit is a terrific example of that.’
The project was made possible by a £1.25million grant from the Dream Fund
